US President Donald Trump said Friday that he plans to visit Venezuela, citing what he described as strong ties between the two countries and growing cooperation in the oil sector.
"I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela … We haven't decided (when)," Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump praised relations with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, saying Washington and Caracas are "working together very closely," particularly on energy.
"We have a very good relationship," he said, adding that major US oil companies are operating in the country and that the partnership is generating significant revenue.
"The relationship we have right now with Venezuela is, I would say, a 10."
Asked whether the US recognizes Rodriguez's administration as Venezuela's official government, Trump responded: "We have done that. We're dealing with them."
He said oil production is on the rise and that the US is refining Venezuelan crude, describing the relationship as "strong."
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the South American country this week to assess its oil industry and hold talks with teh interim government centered on a massive overhaul of the country's energy sector to revitalize its economy and reintegrate its oil reserves into the global market.
Wright's high-profile visit to Venezuela follows a political shift on Jan. 3, when US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a military operation in Caracas and transported to New York, where they are being held in a federal detention facility. Rodriguez has since moved to normalize relations with Washington.
